[Latin] the first of three ranks of the high officials of Imperial Roman
service, all of whom were senators. It included the heads of the great
central ministries, the commander-and-chief of the armies, and the Grand
Chamberlain. By the 6th C., the rank had been cheapened by the inclusion
of lesser officials, and a fourth rank was included, the
gloriosi, superior to that of the
illustres. The other two orders were the
spectibles and the
clarissimi.
{H}

IMAM

an Islamic religious leader, especially for prayer. The sovereign
heads of the Islamic world, including the Caliphs, have taken this title.

IMMENS

[Latin] to be near

IMMINENS

[Latin] eminent - immediate

IMPARLANCE

a delay or postponement

IMPOSITUM

[Latin] the name bestowed

IMPRESSMENT

the act of seizing people or property for public service or use

IN TAIL MALE

[Medieval Latin]The transfer of property usually by grant restricted to male heirs of the
body (of the grantee). If there are no male heirs of the body, the property
reverts to the grantor (reversion in fee) who would be the holder of the fee
simple. Fee tail comes from the French tailler, "to cut", as the estate, or
fee, has been cut down by being confined to heirs of the body, in this case
male heirs, whereas a fee simple may descend to common law heirs. -- Ivor West
(edited)

INATION

death by lack of food

INBORH

[Anglo-Saxon] security, pledge

INCONTINENCE

in modern terms it denotes lack of control of bodily functions, but in
medieval times, it included lack of self-restraint, especially with regard to
sexual activity or apetite

INDENTED

[Heraldric] zig-zagged

INDENTURE

a deed, contract, or sealed agreement executed between two or more
parties; a contract by which a person is bound over for services. Centuries ago
when very few people could read or write, a seller would execute a document
called even then a "deed" to a buyer, whereupon the parties literally tore -
NOT cut - that document in two, each taking one half or thereabouts.
Through that usage, and since only those exact halves would fit together,
each had proof near positive of the bargain and the closing of the deal.
Since that document had "indents" where it had been torn in two, the term
"indenture" perfectly fit that piece of paper and that practice. While
the term is now archaic, some printed forms used by some lawyers still
bear that term as a title (sounds neat, you know, and lawyers are SLOW to
change anything since some court might jump up and set such aside). --
Paul Drake

INDENTURED SERVANT

one who was voluntarily or involuntarily committed to working for someone
for a fixed number of years (usually 4 to 7) in exchange for passage to
America or some other financial advantage. The lowest person on the totem
pole, an indentured servant had few, if any, rights, but people without skills
or money accepted this position in order to emigrate. After the period of work
was over, the servant usually became a freeman.

INDULGENCE

the remission of a penalty as incurred as a penance for a sin. By
the late Middle Ages it evolved into a commutation of a deed of sin for a
financial payment, thence a very lucrative revenue source for the church

INESCUTCHEON

[Heraldry] a small shield appearing on a coat of arms

INESCUTCHEON OF PRETENSE

[Heraldry] a small shield on one's arms showing the arms of the
bearer's wife

INFANGTHIEF

a medieval jurisdictional authority which enabled the holder of the
authority to hang any thief caught red-handed. See also
OUTFANGTHIEF.

INFANT

a minor

INFANTEM

child

INFEFT

[Scot.] used to denote the the symbolical giving possession of land, which
was the completion of the title.

besides it's modern-day usage, which means a relative by marriage,
colonists also used the term for any familial relationship that occurred from
a marriage. Thus, a woman's father-in-law could be her husband's father or her
stepfather. Her son-in-law could be her daughter's husband or her own
stepson. Before 1720, this term usually always meant a "step"
relationship.

performed when anyone holding land directly under the king (or land under
a minor, who held under the king) died. Its purpose was to determine what land
was held, who the heir was, and whether that heir was a minor to ensure that
the king derived the various benefits available from guardianship. It is
useful in providing death dates (sometimes precise, sometimes approximate like
older than 21 or 40 years), who was in possession of land at a specific date,
who the deceased was holding his land under, and who was holding under the
deceased.